


Want

by heartsdesire456



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, past canonical character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 21:55:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4682780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Fitz suggests they should have sex, Mack tells him to come back when he's sober, thinking he'd realize what he'd actually said and they would have a laugh about it. Instead, a sober Fitz comes back to him and better explains <i>why</i> he thinks they should have sex: He's never did it before he he trusts Mack. Mack can't find it in himself to say no to Fitz when he so clearly wants Mack to help him with something he doesn't trust anyone else to do, so he agrees.</p><p>The only problem is, Mack has been in love with Fitz for quite a while now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Want

**Author's Note:**

> I know that's the WORST summary ever. Man I usually don't have THAT much trouble with summaries lately but THIS ONE was just impossible. I'm so sorry!

The end of a mission that was full of danger meant most everybody took a night off of work and somebody broke out the booze and started taking bets on video games. Mack was one of the ones who was still relatively sober since he had to be up early in the morning to work on the jeep they had broken in their mission full of danger.

Because of his relative sobriety, he nearly keeled over when Fitz slid into the seat beside him, eyes glassy, and said without preamble, “We should have sex.”

“What?” Mack asked, eyes wide. 

Fitz giggled, leaning against his shoulder. “You ‘n me. We should do it, yeah?” He smiled up at him. “You wouldn’t laugh at me.”

Mack frowned, thoroughly confused. “We should sleep together because … I don’t laugh at you?”

“No,” Fitz said with a dramatic eye roll. “Skye and Hunter were joking about how it has to have been a while for me since I’m like the only person besides Simmons and Coulson that hasn’t been out with anybody since this all started and I’ve actually never had sex before, but anyways!” He patted Mack on the shoulder. “You’re my friend. So we should do it.”

Mack just stared at him. “Uh, Turbo, being you friend isn’t really a reason to have sex.”

Fitz smiled sweetly. “I mean I _trust_ you,” he said, and the dots started to finally connect in Mack’s mind. “You’re _good_. You’re a good person. And you’re really nice. And I trust you more than anybody else. Also, you’re bloody fuckin’ hot,” he said bluntly. 

Mack looked at Fitz’s open, trusting, slightly drunken face and really thought about his answer. On one hand, if Fitz really had never had sex before, the way he was so skittish and distrustful of anybody that tried to get near him was likely to make it difficult for him to ever get close to somebody that way. Fitz’s trust in him was an amazing privilege that Mack did not at all take lightly. He knew how much it meant that Fitz would even suggest such a thing. He knew that, if they did have sex, he was definitely someone Fitz could trust to let him control the pace, never rush him, and keep him comfortable the whole time.

On the other hand, Mack had been in love with Fitz for so goddamn long now that saying yes would be so dishonest. He couldn’t tell him how he felt. It was clear Fitz didn’t feel the same. But having sex with him under the pretenses of ‘being a good friend’ wouldn’t be fair when it would be _so much more_ than just sex to him. It would be a taste of what he couldn’t have. One chance to pretend that he had what he wanted more than anything. It felt like it would be lying to Fitz to let him give more than he meant to like that. 

But the look in Fitz’s big, trusting blue eyes was too much for Mack. He sighed, resting a hand on Fitz’s wrist. “How about this.” Fitz watched him attentively. “If you still want to have sex when you’re sober, come talk to me, okay?” He patted his leg with a smile. “And if you change your mind, we can both pretend we’re too drunk to remember this, so it doesn’t have to be awkward.”

Fitz grinned. “Yeah?” Mack nodded. “Alright. I’ll come talk to you in the morning then.” He nodded at where Skye was opening a bottle of wine. “Want some?” he asked and Mack shook his head with a chuckle.

“I’ve gotta work early, I better stick to this,” he said, nodding to his last bottle of beer for the night.

“Your loss,” Fitz said, jumping out of his lap to bounce over to Skye and get a glass for himself.

Mack watched him and shook his head in amusement, pretty damn sure he’d be pretending their conversation never happened the next day.

~

The next day he was surprised when Fitz came up to him in the garage after most of the others had left for the night. “Um, hi,” he said, hopping up onto the table beside where Mack was working on one of the pistons from the jeep. “So, Um. Last night,” he said with a wince.

Mack held up a hand. “Remember the deal. If you want me to, I don’t remember anything at all.”

Fitz nodded. “Yeah, but… what if I do want you to?” he asked. 

Mack sat back some, taking the gloves off his hands to face him. “Alright, I’m ready to talk if you are,” he said simply.

Fitz flushed. “I- I remember what I asked. And I kind of… think the way you answered means you might be okay with it if I asked again.”

“You said you want to have sex with somebody and you trust me enough for it to be me and you,” Mack prompted. “I’m not going to just say ‘yeah let’s do it right now’ or anything, but I’m willing to listen,” he said gently. He knew it was a stupid, stupid move, but part of him couldn’t help wanting to be noble about it. It wasn’t _really_ selfish if it was helping Fitz experience something new that he hadn’t had a chance to before.

Fitz picked at his sweater, looking down at his lap. “Well, it’s just that- well I do trust you. More than probably anybody else around here. And I don’t trust easy.” He smiled up at Mack shyly. “You’re my friend, in a way that means something.”

Mack leaned back some, sighing. “But why do you trust me that much?” he asked. “I betrayed you. All of you. Not that long ago, I was doing shit behind your back and you hated me for it.”

Fitz cringed. “You did, and that was shitty of you, but I’ve forgiven you for that.”

“But how?” Mack asked. “People you trusted hurt you plenty of times before. Why did you forgive me enough for that to consider having sex with me now?”

Fitz gave him a sad smile. “Because you didn’t ask me for it.” Mack frowned and Fitz rolled his eyes. “You knew you were doing something wrong but you did it because you thought it was for the greater good.” He shook his head. “You were _wrong_ , but you only betrayed us because you thought it was saving us.” He smiled at him. “You always protected me, as well. Even when I didn’t want you to because I was mad at you.” He held his gaze for a minute. “When you told me you would never hurt me, you followed it up by putting your body between me and an explosion. When Ward said he cared about me, he followed it up by trying to kill me.”

Mack eyed him closely. “You had feelings for him, didn’t you?” he asked, and Fitz sighed then made a face.

“I guess. I mean, mostly I think it’s just that he was hot and nice to me,” he said honestly. “He treated me like a real agent more than the others. The others babied me a lot.” He scoffed. “Turns out the wanker was just fucking insane,” he said bluntly.

Mack grunted. “Yeah, he’s lucky he’s not just fucking dead,” he countered, making Fitz grin at him. Mack looked at him for a long moment before he spoke again. “Why me? Why not somebody who hasn’t betrayed you recently. Even if you do trust me now, why not someone who hasn’t ever did anything to you?”

Fitz rolled his eyes. “Mack, everybody has lied to me and hurt me in some way. Other than the techs, and I’m not having sex with a _tech_ ,” he said, making a face. “They’re all annoying little shits, the last thing I need is to see one of them naked.” Mack broke into a grin and Fitz gave him a small smile. “Besides, if it’s not you, it probably just won’t happen. I don’t think I could let anybody be with me when I’m vulnerable like that. Not now at least.”

Mack nodded. “I get that, Turbo,” he said softly. He hummed to himself. “I’m okay with this if you want it,” he decided. “But I’d really like to talk about one more thing before we go making plans or something,” he said and Fitz nodded seriously.

“Alright. What is it?”

“You said you’ve never had sex before. Why is that?” Mack asked gently.

Fitz shrugged, rubbing at his knee. “It’s just never happened.” He waved a hand. “I was so young when I went to university and everybody else was adults and then at SHIELD even though everybody was nerdy shits and I should’ve been the most popular person ever with my level of nerdy shit, I just _wasn’t_. Simmons is the only friend I’ve ever made in my entire life before Coulson’s team,” he said seriously. “I’m- I’m just invisible. I was always invisible. It was only after I joined SHIELD that people started to notice me, and that stopped being a good thing after-“ He gestured to his temple. “All this got frizzled around and then it was only to pity me that I got noticed for the longest.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m a twenty-five year old virgin because nobody’s ever looked twice at me like that. Hell, the only reason I’ve ever even kissed anybody is because Simmons occasionally dragged me to parties and drunk people like to make out with anybody they can.”

Mack scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t get it. I just don’t. I mean, I believe you,” he reassured. “But I won’t ever understand why nobody pays you attention. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met and you’re fun to be around.”

Fitz blushed some and shrugged. “Well, yeah, you like me well enough, that’s why I trust you enough to have sex with you. You’re not like anybody else. You see me,” he said with a warm smile. “You’re just _good_ , Mack. You’re not perfect, you made mistakes, but you’re still a good person and I trust you.” Fitz looked at him with narrowed eyes. “And I have a question for you. It may sound stupid, but I’ve just been assuming here,” he said, and Mack shrugged.

“Sure thing, Turbo. Shoot.”

Fitz bit his lip awkwardly. “Erm, you do like boys, right? I’m not convincing my straight friend to have sex with me, am I?” he asked, and Mack laughed, shaking his head.

“Nah, Man, we’re good.” He put a hand on his chest. “I only like guys, so no worries there.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Fitz said, then hesitated. “Single, right? I’m not trying to be the bit on the side am I?”

Mack felt a surge of pain at the memory of _why_ he was single, but nodded. “Yeah, I’m single. Have been for a while now.” He reached out and squeezed Fitz’s hand. “If you want to have sex and trust me to be the one you do it with, then okay. Let’s do it. I’m just happy that you trust me that much even after all I’ve done to lose your trust.”

Fitz smiled brightly. “Yeah?”

Mack nodded. “Yeah.”

~

It was a few days before they finally planned to do it, and Mack had confidence that when he and Fitz both turned down going out with Hunter, Skye, Bobbi, and Simmons to a bar Hunter had found, nobody suspected the real reason.

Mack wasn’t nervous so much as worried what he was getting himself into. He knew better. He knew that if he did this, he wouldn’t ever be able to forget what it was like. Fitz was so much more than a fuck to him, but Fitz wanted something and Mack would give him the world if he asked for it. 

Fitz, however seemed _extremely_ nervous. 

They had met in Mack’s room, since he had a proper bed (the perks of being too big for a normal bunk) and they could be comfortable there. Fitz had sat beside him on the edge of the bed for a while just rambling before he seemed to gather himself and he kissed Mack. Mack had coaxed him from a shy, nervous kiss to something more solid and comfortable. From there it had progressed to them lying side by side on the bed, trading kisses and light touches.

And it hadn’t gone any further yet.

Mack wasn’t going to complain, he didn’t want Fitz to think he was trying to push him into anything, but he could feel how nervous Fitz was. When he broke for breath next, he smoothed a hand down Fitz’s side, pressing a tender kiss to his temple. “Turbo, it’s just fine if all we do is this, you know that, right? If you just wanna kiss and maybe do a little over-the-clothes stuff, that’s fine.”

Fitz blushed to the roots of his head but shook his head. “I- erm – I want.” He sighed, letting his head fall forward. “I want to go further I just- you-“ He pouted. “You’re so attractive and I’m- I’m not.”

Mack propped himself on one elbow, looking down at him. “Fitz,” he said with a sweet smile. “You’re one of the most gorgeous people I’ve ever seen,” he said and Fitz gave him a flat look. “I’m serious!” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Okay, how about this.” He touched the top buttons of his flannel shirt. “Whatever you want me to take off, I’ll take it off first, and you take off the same thing after I do. If you don’t want to take off your clothes at all, I won’t either. Nothing has to go further if you don’t want it to.”

Fitz pouted. “Why don’t you just take yours off and I stay clothed?”

Mack chuckled, leaning in to kiss his jaw. “I can’t do anything if you’re fully clothed. I mean, technically it’s still sex if you just touch me, but where’s the fun in that for you?” he asked and Fitz rolled his eyes but nodded. “Your words, Turbo,” Mack reminded and he huffed.

“Mack, will you take off this shirt?” he asked, tugging at the buttons.

Mack nodded. “If you will take off your sweater,” he said and Fitz nodded. They both sat up and undid buttons to shuck off their top layers. When he was finished, Mack laid back against the pillows, watching Fitz and waiting on him. 

Fitz seemed to forget about his sweater as he let it fall from his hand to the floor, eyes on Mack’s upper body as revealed by his undershirt. He reached out and rested his hand flat on Mack’s arm, swallowing hard when his hand looked ridiculously small splayed out on Mack’s arm. “Gods, you’re so _large_ ,” Fitz said, gently stroking his fingers along his smooth, dark skin. He leaned against Mack’s side, caressing the dips and curves of his muscular arms curiously. He followed the tendons of his shoulder to his chest. “Can- Can I see more?” he asked.

Mack nodded, leaning back just far enough away to pull his undershirt off his head, leaving his upper half bare. “Deal’s a deal,” he said and Fitz blushed as he pulled off his shirt, but he seemed less bothered at taking his top off than he was interested in laying forward against Mack’s chest, hand gently tracing the dips and curves of his chest and stomach while he kissed Mack. Mack curled his arms around Fitz, caressing the length of his spine as Fitz moaned softly into his kiss. He smiled against Fitz’s lips. “Like that?” he asked, trailing little kisses along Fitz’s jaw to his earlobe. He gently nipped at his earlobe and Fitz gasped again. 

“Mack,” he moaned, fingers digging into his upper arm.

Mack curled a hand around Fitz’s hip, kissing down the side of his throat. “You still okay?” he asked between kisses.

Fitz nodded. “I- yeah.” Fitz shifted some, reaching up to curl a hand around the back of Mack’s neck while he teased tiny kisses across his collar bone. When his hips shifted so that the hardness in his jeans was pressed against Mack’s thigh, Mack had to bite back a gasp of his own because it hit him that _he_ had got Fitz hard. It was the plan, obviously, but something about the fact he had proof he turned Fitz on made his insides twist.

Fitz shifted his thigh and Mack grunted softly when Fitz pressed against his own cock. Fitz stilled. “Erm, are you- is that-“

Mack chuckled, pulling back far enough to give him an amused look. “What, you think you’re the only one affected by a half-naked guy pressed up against you?” he asked and Fitz blushed with a bashful look.

“I dunno, it’s just-“ He flapped a hand. “I’m _me_.”

Mack wanted to say, ‘yeah, exactly’, but he knew that revealing what he felt for Fitz was the _worst_ possible thing he could do, so he just gave him a chastising look. “Yeah, and ‘me’ is an attractive guy.” He gently squeezed at Fitz’s ass, where his hand had strayed. “You’re gorgeous and you’re letting me cop a feel. I am still a man,” he teased and Fitz chuckled, tapping at the back of his neck. 

“Oh trust me, I’m well aware,” he said, shifting his thigh again. Mack’s breath hitched and Fitz bit his bottom lip, eyes darkening a bit as he did it again, watching Mack’s face the whole time. “Yeah?” he asked, and Mack shook his head.

“Only if you want to,” he said, voice practically a rumble in his chest it was so low. 

Fitz nodded, breath growing a bit shallower. “I wanna see it,” he said, and Mack nodded, reaching down for his belt. Fitz shifted back just a bit, eyes trained on his crotch. Mack felt a little awkward with how intensely Fitz was staring at his junk, but he wasn’t that surprised. Fitz was curious. That was the whole point of all of this. When he pushed his jeans down his hips just a little and pulled out his erection, he kept his eyes on Fitz the whole time. Fitz’s breath hitched and any sliver of blue left around his pupils disappeared as he watched Mack slowly stroke himself a few times. Fitz cleared his throat but his voice still cracked a little as he rubbed at Mack’s abs not far above his hand on his dick. “Can- Can I?” he asked, and Mack smiled at his nervous face when he looked up to check.

“Yeah, Fitz,” he said and Fitz nodded, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth as he reached out and carefully curled his hand around Mack’s erection. He tilted his head a bit as he simply held it for a moment, fingers twitching a bit against Mack’s skin. He curled his hand more firmly and stroked him a few times, making Mack grunt at the sensation.

Before Fitz could give him a worried look, Mack sighed. “Like that is okay.”

“Fuck, you’re really big,” Fitz blurted out, then blushed, giving Mack a panicked look. “Erm, I mean- I just-“

Mack couldn’t help it when he laughed softly, leaning in to kiss Fitz quickly before he thought he was laughing _at_ him. “Just proportionate to the rest of me, Turbo.”

“I know, but _damn_ ,” Fitz said. “I can barely fit my hand around your penis, Mack. That’s _large_.”

Mack gave him a look. “That’s an exaggeration,” he said and Fitz scoffed.

“ _Barely_ ,” he argued. “How on earth have you ever managed to put it inside of someone?” he asked and Mack couldn’t help laughing. Fitz glared. “Hey, don’t laugh at the person touching your penis,” he said and Mack pulled Fitz into a hug, kissing him to stop him pouting at him.

When Fitz pulled away, propping himself up with his hands on Mack’s chest, Mack grinned. “I’m sorry, Turbo, I’m not laughing at you,” he promised, pecking his lips again. “It’s just the way you said it.” He chuckled, pulling Fitz into his lap to settle back against the head of the bed. “First off, yes, I have and probably will continue to put my dick inside of people. It’s really not that big, Fitz,” he teased. “And secondly,” he said, growing more serious even though he couldn’t stop smiling. “Sex requires patience. Doesn’t matter how rough somebody likes it, sex doesn’t ever have to hurt.” He made a face. “Some people are into that stuff, but you can fuck so hard the bed breaks and it never really hurt. I mean, it can hurt the way somebody biting your neck hurts, where it’s pleasure heightened by a little tiny bit of pain, but unless you’re into some weird whips and hitting and stuff, actual hurt should never be part of it.” 

He slid his hands up Fitz’s sides, pulling him closer, lowering his voice as he moved one hand to slide down Fitz’s stomach slowly while Fitz’s eyes were locked on his face. “But patience is important. Patience and communication.” He slid his hand down to cup the front of Fitz’s pants, rubbing slowly at his erection. Fitz whimpered some, but otherwise his eyes stayed on Mack’s face. “Half the time people have bad sex, it’s because they don’t talk to each other. No, not every time you have sex is going to be spectacular, but sex should never be _terrible_. If you talk to each other, and if you tell each other what you like and what you don’t, and if you don’t sleep with assholes who don’t give a shit what you like, then sex is enjoyable.” He paused and brushed his fingers across Fitz’s button on his jeans. “Can I?”

Fitz nodded, voice clicking when he spoke. “Yes.”

Mack carefully undid the button of Fitz’s jeans and slowly undid the zipper. He rubbed at Fitz’s middle with his left hand as he eased his cock out of his pants, curling his hand around it. His mouth positively watered as he stroked Fitz slowly, testing the weight of him in his hand. “God, look at you,” he muttered and Fitz made an adorably awkward noise and when he looked up, he was blushing all the way down to his chest. Mack grinned, leaning closer to kiss him sweetly. “You turn all pink when you do that. It’s cute.” He looked down, moaning softly as he pushed back Fitz’s foreskin and swiped his thumb across his slit, spreading a bead of precome around. “I bet you’d feel so good inside of me,” he murmured and Fitz gasped some, hand clenching against Mack’s chest. 

He looked up at him and Fitz bit his lip. “Erm, maybe another time?” he suggested and Mack raised an eyebrow. Fitz shrugged. “Don’t really think I’d last long enough for that to be enjoyable for either of us really.”

Mack leaned in, kissing him sweetly. “Maybe another time, then.”

Fitz let out a breath. “You’d want that, though? Want me to-“ He gestured awkwardly, making a face. “That. To you.”

“You can say ‘fuck me’,” Mack reminded him gently. “I’m touching your erection right now, you can be as blunt as possible, right now,” he said and Fitz giggled nervously. 

“You’d want me to fuck you?” he asked, and Mack nodded. Fitz looked at him closely. “I just figured- well- that is.” He gestured to Mack. “Look at you.”

Mack shook his head. “Trust me, you’re not the only one to figure. I’ve never actually had anybody ask me if they could, I always have to ask somebody else if they’ll fuck me. I have had very few partners who even wanted to top me,” he said and Fitz scoffed.

“Oh trust me, that is not at all my issue. I’m just surprised.”

Mack grinned. “Good. Maybe we can try that out sometime. Let you see what fucking a guy is like. But for now, what do you want, Turbo?” he asked, still teasingly touching Fitz’s cock.

Fitz grinned nervously. “Can we just… this? For now?” he asked sheepishly. “I’m- I’m pretty keyed up as it is.”

Mack nodded. “Sure thing,” he said, sitting up. “Just hold on a second,” he said, holding Fitz against his chest with one hand as he reached over to dig something out of the duffel bag beside the bed. When he came back with lube, he watched Fitz carefully as he began to more firmly stroke his cock. Fitz whimpered, eyes drooping as he squirmed in Mack’s lap. Mack reached up with his free hand and cupped his face, pulling him into a kiss. Fitz slid his hands up Mack’s chest, moaning as Mack twisted on the upstroke. “That okay, Baby?” Mack murmured and Fitz nodded quickly, sliding his hands up Mack’s chest to curl around his neck to pull him into another kiss.

Fitz broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Mack’s jaw, panting as he started to thrust slightly into Mack’s fist, unable to stop himself. “Mack,” he breathed raggedly. “Fuck,” he gasped and Mack curled his arm around Fitz’s back, holding him close. Fitz laid his head against the curve of Mack’s neck. “Gods, Mack-“ He choked on a gasp, whimpering as Mack sped up his strokes. “Mack, oh God,” he moaned, leaning back some. Mack couldn’t help tanging his free hair in Fitz’s curls, pulling him into a rough kiss. Fitz let out a muffled cry against his mouth as he came, body shuddering against Mack’s. His head dropped to Mack’s shoulder as he slumped against Mack, body trembling all over. “Holy shit,” Fitz panted weakly and Mack chuckled, kissing the side of his head. He discreetly reached for the cloth he’d left by the bed to wipe his hand before pulling Fitz into his arm.

Fitz slid to the side and tucked himself into Mack’s side. Mack chuckled as he rested his cheek against Mack’s chest as he looked up at him with muzzy eyes. Mack chuckled, curling his arm around Fitz’s shoulders, smiling down at him. “You okay? Did I break you?”

“I’m fucking spectacular,” Fitz said, turning to press his lips to Mack’s skin. He glanced down an bit his bottom lip as he slid his fingertips across Mack’s abs towards his cock. “Hey, can I?” he asked, looking up at him.

Fitz was so fucking beautiful, looking up at him with slightly pink cheeks, eyes wide and bright, framed by ridiculous eyelashes. Mack nodded, swallowing. “If you want to, sure,” he said, and Fitz smirked.

“Oh I want to,” he said, licking his lips as he used the leg curled over Mack’s thigh to tug himself further into Mack’s side while he reached across him for the lube. When he wrapped his hand around Mack, he looked up at his face, chin rested on Mack’s chest. “Tell me what you like and what you don’t, okay?” he asked and Mack chuckled, tipping Fitz’s chin up to peck his lips. Fitz mumbled against his mouth. “M’serious. I wanna be good for you.”

Mack ran his nose along the side of Fitz’s face. “As good as I know you are with your hands, Baby, I’m not doubting you for a minute,” he said and Fitz made a grumpy little face.

“Liar. You know how much trouble I have with them.”

“No, you _used to_ ,” Mack argued, sighing as Fitz’s touch grew firmer. “You have good use of your hands now, that’s for damn sure.” He groaned softly, head falling back as he shifted some. “Just like that, Fitz,” he said, and Fitz hummed, looking down at his hand on Mack’s cock.

“You’re very attractive like this,” Fitz muttered, pressing his lips to Mack’s chin. Mack turned his head and caught his lips, kissing him languidly, enjoying the easy pleasure of Fitz’s lips and tongue combined with the feeling of Fitz’s hand on his erection. Fitz pulled away and turned to look back down, head laid on Mack’s chest as he tightened his grip a little. “This okay?”

Mack nodded. “Yeah, maybe a little faster, Baby,” he mumbled and Fitz complied.

Fitz seemed totally enraptured with the way Mack responded to his touch. He kept going between staring at Mack’s face and at his cock, constantly asking Mack how he could make it better until Mack was pretty sure he was going to cry from how good Fitz’s touch felt before he actually finished. When he did come, it was with a small shout of Fitz’s name that Fitz silenced, kissing him until long after he’d stopped touching him. 

Eventually Mack settled back, lying beside Fitz, who was sprawled half across him. He fluffed at Fitz’s hair, trying to make it look less wild, but nothing helped. “Turbo, you’ve got some sex hair going on.”

Fitz chuckled. “At least I have hair,” he teased and Mack gave him a playfully offended look. 

“You little shit,” he said, and Fitz grinned, crossing his arms under his head on Mack’s chest, looking at him. “So, what’d you think?” he asked, patting at his hair some more.

Fitz grinned sheepishly. “I think I was right to want to have sex with you. You’re really good at talking and making it not confusing.”

Mack nodded. “Cause it shouldn’t be confusing.” He smiled sweetly. “You know I’d do anything for you, Turbo. Sex is the least of it.”

Fitz hummed tiredly, sighing. “I’m too lazy to get up. I need to go to sleep, though. I have to do those bullet tests in the morning,” he said with a grumpy look.

Mack shrugged, careful not to jostle Fitz too much. “Just say there. I don’t mind,” he said, even as he thought about how bad of an idea that was.

Fitz gave him a hopeful look. “Yeah? You don’t mind?”

“Turbo, I know what you sound like mid-orgasm, I really don’t mind sharing a bed with you,” he teased and Fitz blushed slightly.

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t complain if you wake up with me using you as a teddy bear. I get cold in my sleep and curl around my pillows half the time,” he warned as Mack pulled back the covers and they crawled under them together. 

Mack shrugged. “Just don’t wake me up too early and it’s all good.”

~

Fitz worried that things might be awkward after- well, after. He’d woken up with Mack curled up against his back with his _giant_ arm holding him close. He remembered what Mack said about not waking him up early and eased out of his hold – not without a great amount of difficulty – and quickly typed in a note telling Mack that Fitz had to get to work but good morning anyways.

He had to rush to shower and get dressed once he got back to his room before rushing to the lab without eating.

He was still firing bullets and telling the tech he was with what to write down when Mack came in, fingers in his ears. When Fitz stopped, Mack walked up beside him, gesturing for the tech to get out of the way. “Hey, Turbo. What’re you still doing here?” he asked, leaning on the firing bench to flip through the clipboard notes. “Damn, you’ve got the accuracy for these new ICERs as good as the real bullets.”

Fitz sighed, taking off his earmuffs. “I think it’s right. I’m just a terrible shot so we can’t be sure,” he said, rubbing at his ears, red from the earmuffs. “I need someone that’s not shite at this but there’s nobody to spare, apparently.” He gestured to the gun he sat on the bench. “Think you can do better?” he asked.

Mack sucked his teeth. “C’mon, look at this?” He gestured to the closest target the tech hand hung on the wall. “You’re a way better shot than me. You’re just probably tired as hell by now,” he said. He tapped his upper arm with the pen. “It’s dinnertime, Fitz.”

Fitz dropped his earmuffs, scrambling to keep them from falling off the table. “What?!” Mack raised an eyebrow and Fitz grimaced. “I’ve been here since I left your room this morning,” he admitted and Mack gave him a glare.

“Fitz! That was like ten hours ago! Have you eaten at least?” Fitz shook his head and Mack groaned. “Fitz, you’re gonna kill yourself one of these days,” he said, reaching out to pluck the safety glasses off his face. “Okay.” He turned to the tech, who was still hovering in the background. “You, gather all this up, please. I’ve gotta get him some dinner before he keels over on us.”

Fitz grumbled, but let Mack loop an arm around his shoulders to drag him to the kitchens. “I’m a grown man, Mack, I can walk there myself.”

“Yeah, and your ‘grown man’ ass spent all day working without a lunch break or breakfast before that,” he chastised. “You’re lucky I’m not sitting you down and feeding you myself.”

Fitz snickered, giving him a cheeky wink. “That’s a bit too kinky for my taste, sorry,” he said and Mack chuckled and shoved at his face.

“Stop being a smartass,” he grumbled and Fitz just smirked triumphantly all the way to the kitchen. Mack guided him through the door and passed him to go open the refrigerator. “I swear, Fitz, I’m beginning to think the only reason you made it this far in life is Simmons taking care of you like a pet cat or something. You wouldn’t remember to eat if somebody didn’t feed you.”

Fitz smiled sheepishly. “Well, she does make me food quite a lot. I just thought she liked cooking,” he admitted and Mack rolled his eyes.

“Dude, c’mon,” he said, shaking his head as he dug through the junk food all over the kitchen. “Oh Jesus Christ, does nobody have actually food anymore?” he asked before finally coming back with some lettuce and meat for sandwiches. “If we’re out of bread, I swear I’m gonna strangle Koenig.”

Fitz chuckled. “Which one?”

Mack gave him a flat look. “Whichever one I can grab first.”

Fitz sat, watching Mack making sandwiches and finally got up the nerve to speak. “Erm, I really was just caught up working. I wasn’t- you know, avoiding you. If you were worried,” he finished lamely. 

Mack turned around, setting a plate in front of him with an easy smile. “Well, I didn’t _think_ you were avoiding me, but I figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if you were.” He leaned against the counter. “I know you better than to think you’d just go all weird on me, but having a lot to think about today wouldn’t have been too off. Everything’s cool between us, right?” Mack asked, and Fitz smiled and nodded.

“Definitely.” He blushed some. “The only real weird is how I keep thinking about your _arms_. You go around in a tank top half the time in the lab, but for some reason having got a proper feel of them, I’m very distracted by them,” he said and Mack gave him an amused grin.

“Still no idea why everybody thinks big muscles is so great,” he teased. “It’s just from doing real work all the time.”

Fitz scoffed. “Big muscles is hot, you’re just weird.” He gestured to himself. “You think _I’m_ attractive, clearly your judgement is very off, Mack.”

“I just like a gorgeous face more than some lumpy muscles,” Mack countered, making Fitz blush and shake his head.

“Oh shut it-“

“What? It’s true, Turbo.” Mack winked at him. “You’re definitely the cutest of us all.”

“Mack-“

“You’re flat out pretty,” he countered, reaching over to ruffle Fitz’s curls, grinning when he swatted and ducked away.

“Oi! Stop it, you!”

Skye and Bobbi walked in just in time to catch Mack trying to touch Fitz’s hair and Fitz swatting at him. “Oh man, Fitz’s curls are the best, right?” Skye asked, running over to hug Fitz and slide her hand through his hair before darting away before he could smack her. 

“Stop molesting my hair!” he complained and Bobbi smirked as she walked over.

“Don’t take it personally. Mack’s just jealous you have hair,” she teased.

Mack huffed. “You know I shave my head in the shower, _Barbara_ ,” he said, elbowing her when she passed him.

Skye smirked deviously. “Oh yeah? And how does Bobbi know what you do in the shower, Mack? You dog,” she joked.

Bobbi mimed gagging. “Gross, Skye. That’d be like screwing your brother.”

Fitz choked on a bite of his food, blushing as he reached for his water bottle. Mack just snickered at him. “You’re all red,” he said, and Fitz made a face at him.

Skye just sighed. “Oh Mack, if I thought for a minute it’d work out, I’d have been after you the day you showed up all hot and big and muscly and stuff,” she said, winking at him.

Bobbi smirked. “Well that’s another reason me and Mack could never be.” She shook her head in mock sadness. “Sadly, neither you or I are his type, Skye,” she said, and Skye raised an eyebrow.

“We’re nothing alike. You’re blonde and tall and white, and I’m small, dark haired, and Asian,” she pointed out.

Mack nodded. “Yep, and you’re both women,” he added and Skye’s jaw dropped.

“No shit?” she asked in surprise. “Damn, Mack, I didn’t get that vibe at _all_.” She looked at Fitz. “Did you know this?” she asked, and Fitz was glad he was still pink from choking so she didn’t notice the heat rising in his cheeks.

“Yeah, I did,” he said, and Mack gave him a secretive grin. He shrugged. “Hard to ignore we both sorta check out Hunter sometimes. He’s a dick, but he’s a dick with a great arse,” he added and Bobbi dropped her thankfully closed juice bottle.

“Whoa, wait, what? Mack, ew,” she said and Mack rolled his eyes at her.

“I don’t have to like your sorta-ex to recognize he’s attractive, Bobbi,” he dismissed.

Skye gestured inarticulately. “Okay, REWIND! Fitz, you _what_?” She flapped a hand. “What about Simmons?!”

Fitz raised an eyebrow. “Erm, some people aren’t particular about what bits somebody attractive has, Skye. Surely you’ve noticed that before,” he said, only to blink in understanding. “Oh wait, you didn’t know I liked men, too? Oh, yeah.” He shrugged. “That’s hardly a secret.”

Skye spluttered. “Since _when_?!”

Fitz shrugged. “Simmons has always known. I figured the rest of you figured it out, too. I sort of made an arse of myself in front of the last guy I had a crush on all over the place.”

Bobbi frowned. “Wait, who?”

Fitz grumbled, glaring down at his half eaten sandwich. “The bastard that tried to kill me,” he said and Skye hummed.

“Oh. Yeah, I guess I can see that. I just thought you got along with him,” she said, then pouted. “Awww Fitz, that sucks even worse. The evil dick you liked tried to kill you and the girl you had feelings for. That’s fucked. At least he just keeps trying to kidnap me, the weird bastard,” she said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Just be glad neither of us slept with him like May did,” she said and there was a loud clatter that made Fitz look up, only to see Mack had dropped his knife and he and Bobbi were both gaping.

“May _what_?!” Bobbi asked, and Fitz raised an eyebrow.

“Erm, yeah? Was that also not common knowledge?” He looked at Skye, who shrugged.

“It’s weird having a whole base that doesn’t know all the stuff us six did,” she said simply. She nudged Fitz. “Dude, did you meet the analyst with the pretty freckles? He’s hot,” she said and Fitz rolled his eyes.

“Skye, just because I like men doesn’t mean I’m going to start talking boys with you,” he said and she pouted.

“But he’s hot and Simmons doesn’t think so,” she whined. 

Fitz grinned. “I like freckles well enough, but he’s got blue eyes. I like brown eyes best,” he said and she sucked her teeth.

“Man, that’s boring. Most of the world has brown eyes,” she said and Fitz looked at her pointedly. “What? I know I have boring brown eyes,” she said simply.

Fitz shrugged. “Yeah, and I’ve had blue eyes forever, I’m bored of it. Also on movies everybody’s got blue eyes. It’s just annoying. I mean Mack has nice eyes and they’re brown. What’s wrong with that?” he asked, gesturing to Mack’s face.

Bobbi grinned. “Yeah, Mack’s all kinda gorgeous. The lucky bastard,” she said, nudging him. “Pretty boy.”

Skye laughed at the look on Mack’s face and Fitz couldn’t help giggling some at how offended he looked. “So, Pretty Boy, what about you?” she asked. “Pretty Freckles?” she asked and he shrugged.

Mack shrugged with a playful grin. “He’s cute and all, but I prefer blonds.”

Skye made a face. “Whatever, you two are no fun.”

~

A few days later, Fitz and Mack had the afternoon off and after only about ten minutes playing video games, they decided their time would be better spent in Mack’s bedroom to make good on their ‘maybe next time’ suggestion. Mack was _definitely_ glad they had decided against video games. He also decided he was a genius for buying condoms last time he went out, because he’d been absolutely correct about how good Fitz would feel inside of him. 

Fitz had mentioned that he felt a bit ridiculous to start with, since just one of Mack’s _thighs_ was bigger this his entire waist, but after sitting between them and watching Mack finger himself, he seemed to not be bothered with how ridiculous it might be. He definitely seemed like he cared even less when his cock was inside of Mack. 

Fitz’s movements were clumsy, and he was clearly nervous, but Mack didn’t hesitate to let him know how good it felt. 

Fitz canted his hips and Mack couldn’t keep quiet. “Oh damn, Baby, just like that,” Mack moaned as each thrust made him see stars. “Fuuuuck, right there.”

“Yeah?” Fitz asked, and Mack groaned at the sight of Fitz’s eyes fluttering. “This feels fucking amazing,” Fitz gasped and Mack grinned, arching his back a little to get back the angle that had started to slip. 

“Shiiiiiit,” Mack moaned. “It’s been so long since somebody fucked me,” he said and Fitz let out a strangled laugh.

“Sorry it won’t last longer, then,” he said, bottom lip disappearing between his teeth.

Mack grunted, shaking his head. “S’okay. You’ll just have to fuck me again sometime. It’s win-win,” he said, and Fitz let out a laugh.

He wasn’t wrong, it didn’t last too terribly much longer, but _God_ Mack enjoyed it while it lasted. And even after Fitz had come, he still put his hands to good use to make Mack see stars when he finished as well. Afterwards, as they lay curled up together, Mack curled around Fitz, peppering kisses along his shoulder and neck absently, fingertips tracing the skin on Fitz’s hip, Mack couldn’t ignore the way his chest ached at the thought of giving this up. Fitz was his friend, just friend, but he couldn’t ever remember being so content.

“Hey, Mack?” Fitz asked, turning his head to look at him.

Mack propped himself on his elbow, looking down at him. “Yeah, Turbo?” he asked, worried about what Fitz might be going to say after a long silence. Maybe Mack was freaking him out being so cuddly. He really hoped not, because he _really_ liked it.

Before he could go too far off the rails with his thoughts, Fitz spoke again. “I was just thinking. I have no idea how old you are. I’ve never asked. You and Bobbi are best friends, so I guess about her age, but I don’t know how old Bobbi is either.”

Mack gave him a grin, knowing exactly how much Fitz was gonna be surprised. “You think that, huh?” Fitz nodded, rolling around to face him fully. “Bobbi’s thirty-two,” he said and Fitz hummed.

“Yeah, that seems about right,” he said, reaching out to trail his fingertip through Mack’s chest hair.

“And I’m forty-five,” Mack said, smile growing as Fitz sat up with a yelp.

“WHAT?!” he asked, nearly falling out of the bed he jerked so hard. 

Mack caught him around the middle and pulled him down against his chest, rolling onto his back. “Yep,” he said, looking up at him. “Turned forty-five in July.”

Fitz propped himself up, gaping at him. “You are not. _Coulson_ is only fifty!”

Mack nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been with SHIELD for almost fourteen years. I remember working in the motor pool and hearing about the shit May and Coulson got up to. Never met either of ‘em but they were legendary for shit going sideways in the field.”

Fitz opened and closed his mouth a few times before sitting up fully on Mack’s lap. “Holy shit, you’re _older than my Dad_ ,” he said and Mack’s smile slid into a grimace.

“Oh shit, now I feel like a pervert,” he said, even as he slid his hands up Fitz’s thighs. “What the hell, were you an episode of Teen Mom, or something?” he asked, then grimaced, realizing that was probably rude.

Fitz let out a surprised laugh. “My dad was eighteen and my mum was twenty-one when they got married. My dad’s nineteen years older than me. You’re twenty years older than me.” He snickered. “Oh man, I’m sleeping with a man older than my father. That’s hilarious.” He leaned down and kissed Mack’s forehead. “Never let Simmons know, because she’d definitely tell my parents when they call her.”

Mack raised an eyebrow. “Your parents call Simmons?” he asked as he curled his arms around Fitz again, holding him close.

Fitz nodded, laying his cheek against Mack’s chest. “I went to SciTech Academy at fifteen. Simmons and I got recruited from the same University so we traveled together to America and sort of became friends that way. My parents have known her since then when I didn’t make any more friends and just talked about Jemma. In the year since- since Ward.” He hesitated and Mack rubbed his back soothingly. “When they call, she talks to them and makes excuses. I reply with emails. I’m almost well enough to talk to them again though.”

Mack stilled. “Your parents don’t know?”

Fitz sighed. “I couldn’t tell them what happened and they couldn’t come see me, so we decided not to tell them about me being in a coma. Eventually I’ll have to tell them I had some sort of accident, but for now it’s still a secret from them. They don’t know we work in the field. Jemma and I finished our final internships at SHIELD and immediately got snapped up by Coulson.” He curled his hand around Mack’s bicep, looking at his small hands on Mack’s big arm. “What about you? What’s your family like?” He looked up at him with a teasing frown. “You’re not secretly married are you?”

Mack sucked his teeth. “Turbo, I would not be naked with you right now if I was married.” He chuckled and smiled, sliding his fingers through Fitz’s hair. “I’ve got a sister and a niece. Her husband split a while back, so I go visit them when I can. Try to give my niece some semblance of family besides just her mother.” 

Fitz smiled. “Aww, how old is she? What’re their names?”

“My sister’s name is Shandra and her little girl is named Logan. She’s eight,” Mack said and Fitz beamed.

“That’s so cute! It’s fun to picture you as an uncle,” Fitz said, then snickered as a teasing look grew in his eyes. “Does she make you play tea party when you visit?” he asked and Mack rolled his eyes.

“There are no pictures and if there were you wouldn’t ever get to see them. I’d _eat them_ first,” he said and Fitz snickered as he laid his head back on Mack’s chest. 

After a while, Fitz was nearly asleep again when his phone rang. He crawled off of Mack and dug it out of his pants on the floor. He sat up, kneeling on the bed and made a face as he answered it. “Fitz,” he said shortly. He sighed. “Alright. I’ll be right there.” 

Fitz hung up and turned to Mack with an annoyed pout. “The damn techs set one of my experiments on fire.” He leaned over and pecked Mack’s lips then jumped off the bed, grabbing up his clothes. “I’m trying to weaponize the DWARF drones but the bastards set Sleepy on fire.”

Mack sat up, moving to the edge of the bed to watch him get dressed. “You need some help?” he asked, and Fitz shook his head.

“Nah, I’ve got it. Probably need to do something else before I end up falling asleep in here again.” He finished buttoning his pants then snagged his shirt and tugged it on, buttoning it as he hunted down his shoes. “Last thing I need is to have to run in the morning again.”

Mack grabbed his pants and pulled them no, not bothering with his shirt as he walked to the door with Fitz, who had simply shoved his shoes on and put his socks in his pocket. “If you don’t show up and eat something for dinner tonight, I’m gonna hunt you down,” he warned teasingly and Fitz rolled his eyes at him as he opened the door and held it for Fitz.

“I am an adult, you know?” he said, then smirked. “Just because you’re older than my dad-“

“Stop or I will throw up on you,” Mack threatened. “That’s just wrong.”

Fitz made a face. “Yeah, that’s a bit gross, isn’t it? Whatever, bye!” he said, darting out the door.

Mack shut the door behind him and then walked back to his bed, falling facedown with a huff. He was getting way in over his head and this was only the second time they’d had sex. The implication they would continue to do so was spelling bad things for him and his poor heart, he just knew it.

~

After the fifth time they had sex, Fitz stopped worrying he and Mack were going to mess up their friendship. Nothing had really changed. They had always been pretty close. They flirted a bit more now, but it was just because they’d grown comfortable with each other’s bodies so touch came easier. They still played video games together, they still worked together, they still bickered and sometimes really argued, but it all was the same, really.

Apart from the moments where Mack smiled at him and Fitz’s insides clenched. Or the times he fell asleep in Mack’s arms and never wanted to leave. Or the way he sometimes had the strongest urge to kiss Mack whenever he did something particularly adorable, right there in front of everybody. Or hold his hand. Or cuddle into his side on movie night. He really wanted to cuddle into his side a lot of the time, if he was honest.

The more Fitz thought about it, maybe those feelings had been there for a while, he just didn’t know what the desire he felt was before he knew what it felt like to do those things.

He started to worry that he was getting in way over his head just before Mack almost died and he got every bit of confirmation he needed.

~

Mack and Hunter had been sent out on a mission to pick up a package. It was supposed to be simple. Instead, Hunter was in intensive care and Mack had missed being shot by inches and the hole through both sides of his shirt but not his body proved that. Fitz had gone to Mack’s room to ask him what the hell he and Hunter had been did to make things go tits up and possibly yell at him some, but when he walked in and saw Mack standing by the lamp with just his jeans on, looking at the holes in the shirt he had been wearing.

Mack had looked at him with something raw in his eyes and Fitz’s desire to yell at him twisted and turned into something else entirely. Instead of giving in to the urge to shake he life out of Mack, he dragged him into a hot, wet, forceful kiss. Mack seemed to be on the same page, because he swept Fitz up so that Fitz could wrap his legs around him in the middle of the room.

Fitz’s sweater was ripped at as Mack struggled to strip him naked, but Fitz couldn’t find it in him to care once he was naked in Mack’s bed. 

This time wasn’t like any of the others. There was no exploration, there was no laughing and learning and having fun together. There was only fire and raw, unadulterated need. There was no teasing, there was no fifteen checks that everything was good, and honestly, there was just enough prep so that Fitz wasn’t hurt by how hard Mack fucked him. It was rough and desperate and Fitz knew both he and Mack would be wearing bruises and nail marks for the next week. There were no interesting new positions to try, just Mack’s massive frame basically shielding him from the rest of the room above him while he clung to Mack, heels digging into his lower back and hands clawing at whatever part of his upper body he could cling to. Between harsh, biting kisses that Fitz just knew would leave his lips raw and chapped, the beard burn he knew would be all over his face and neck from Mack’s facial hair, and the bite marks he knew would be on his throat and down his shoulders, not to mention the pleasurepain of how hard he was being fucked, Fitz was pretty sure he’d be miserable later.

But at the time, he couldn’t remember anything in his life feeling better.

By the time he would have normally been worried about the headboard banging on the wall or the extra loud groans and cries they were both letting out, Fitz was too far gone to give a shit who might hear them. For all he cared, every person on base could walk in and it wouldn’t matter, because every nerve ending in Fitz’s body was singing with pleasure and his heart was full of nothing but relief that Mack was okay and safe and in his arms. The raw emotion that came with the realization that he could have lost Mack combined with the pleasure flooding his nervous system was enough to make tears spill over when he came with a shout, spilling between his and Mack’s bodies. He clung to Mack, shuddering violently as, moments after, Mack followed him.

~

Mack slowly came back to himself after probably the most intense orgasm of his life, only to have his blood run cold when he realized the hitched sounds Fitz was making wasn’t him trying to catch his breath, but him crying. Immediately, his first thought was that he’d hurt him. “Oh God, Fitz, are you okay? Fuck, I’m so sorry, I-“

“No I’m not bloody okay,” Fitz choked out, curling his hands around the sides of Mack’s head, forcing him to look at him as tears streaked his face. “You could have _died_ , Mack!” Mack slipped into a moment of utter confusion before he finally realized he hadn’t physically hurt Fitz. “You can’t do that to me, Mack,” he sobbed, shaking his head as he clenched his eyes shut. “Please don’t leave me, too,” he whimpered and Mack’s heart broke into a thousand pieces when he realized what was happening.

Mack settled over Fitz, curling one hand around his cheek, holding his weight off of Fitz with his other elbow. “Oh Baby, I’m so sorry,” he said, tenderly kissing every inch of Fitz’s face. “I am not leaving you, Fitz. I promise, I’ll always come back for you.”

“You can’t make that promise,” Fitz argued, arms going around Mack’s neck as he clung to him. “As long as they keep sending you in the field, you can’t promise me that.”

Mack curled his free hand around the back of Fitz’s head, cradling him close. “Maybe not, but I promise I will always try my damn hardest to come back to you. I don’t wanna be a field agent. I hate this shit. I just want to work in the garage with you. That’s what makes me happiest.”

Fitz nodded against his neck. “Just don’t leave me,” he pleaded. “I can’t lose you.”

Mack stayed where he was, only moving far enough to pull out of Fitz and then let Fitz wrap his legs right back around him so he could settle again, until he couldn’t possibly keep himself from squishing Fitz any longer. When they got out of bed, it was only long enough for them to shower together, barely letting go long enough to clean up, before they returned to the bed and fell asleep still wrapped up in their towels from the shower, never once moving out of arms reach of one another.

~

After seeing himself in his own mirror when he went to change the next morning, Fitz knew it wouldn’t exactly take a genius to figure out he’d definitely had sex with somebody going by the massive bite mark on his collarbone, so he did something he hadn’t in a long time and buttoned all his buttons and put on a tie. The state of his lips was something else entirely. They were chapped like he’d been outside in the winter for a while. He realized with a cringe that he was going to have to actually go to someone to get something for his lips and the skin on around them, which meant more than likely confessing exactly what had caused it.

In the end, he decided that the least embarrassing option would be Bobbi. She wasn’t close to him like any of the others were. Also, Hunter had facial hair so she had to have some remedy for the situation he was in. He just hoped that, since Hunter was on the mend, he wouldn’t interrupt her too badly. 

When he found her, she was in the gym, taking out her worried energy on one of the punching bags. When she saw him, she looked confused. “You looking for somebody? It’s just me here.”

He blushed and cleared his throat. “Erm, I kind of need a- a tip for something. And I sort of figured you’re the best to ask about this problem.”

She walked over to grab her water bottle and drank some on the way to him, only to stop, cheeks puffed out, and then grin after she swallowed as she got a good look at his face. “Why Leo Fitz, you seem to have had a good time last night, “she said, eying how red and puffy his lips were.

He nodded. “I just thought maybe since Hunter has facial hair you might- might know how to make this look… well, less like I had a good time last night,” he finished awkwardly. 

She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, c’mon. I’ve got something for it.” He followed her as they left and headed towards her room. “I’m gonna guess the tie is hiding some other marks of a crazy good time last night, huh?” She smirked. “Mack’s lucky his skin is dark enough it won’t show on him,” she said and Fitz nearly walked into a wall.

“What?! Psh, ha, yeah right-“ He stopped when he saw the look on her face and he deflated. “Crap. How do you know?” he asked. Bobbi shrugged as she unlocked her door and then let him in. He stood awkwardly, waiting on her to answer while she looked for something. “Well?”

She gave him a much nicer look. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t really suspect you were more than just friends until yesterday. When Hunter and Mack came back, you looked like you were going to throw up when you saw how close Mack came to being in Hunter’s position.”

He shook his head. “We are just friends. I’d have that reaction to anybody I’m close to nearly being killed! I’m glad Hunter is gonna be alright and I barely like him,” he pointed out. “Mack’s pretty much my best friend now.”

She came to him, handing him a small container of some sort of salve. “You didn’t let me finish,” she said, giving him a teasing grin. “I also came to talk to him after Hunter was stabilized and heard more than I ever wanted to from his door,” she added and Fitz whined, slapping a hand over his face. “You two might’ve just been friends before last night, but clearly it’s more now.”

Fitz sighed, slumping. “Thank you for this,” he said, wiggling the container. “And please don’t say anything… unless everybody else heard too,” he said, looking up with a horrified glint in his eyes.

Bobbi laughed. “Nah, you have to pretty much be at the door to hear anything inside the bunks on this base. Great soundproofing here.” She looked at him more seriously. “Look, whatever happened last night, whatever’s been happening to make it so that relief pushed you two over the edge of ‘friends’ to ‘fucking’… don’t hurt him, okay?” she said, brow furrowed. “Mack doesn’t do casual. Ever. I’ve known him for a long time, and he is a sweet guy who gives his whole heart when he’s with somebody.” She shook her head. “If you’re not in it for a real shot at something special, tell him now before anything else happens, because you’re pretty much his best friend, too. You being his friend here made him get better so fast.”

Fitz frowned. “Get better?” he asked and she nodded sadly.

“When we went our separate ways for him to join your team and me to go undercover at HYDRA, it had been a month since Tim and he was still so empty and he never smiled or anything.” She gave him a look. “I come back a few months later and he’s smiling and joking around and it was pretty obvious that, even if nobody else was treating you like a friend, he spent half his time with you and it was doing him so much good.” She gave him a small smile. “He might have made you feel like a part of the team again, but you made him learn to be happy again, Fitz. If you two ended up falling into bed together, chances are he’s been falling into something a whole lot more serious than that all this time.” She shook her head. “Don’t hurt him any more than you have to.”

Fitz nodded mutely, unable to manage words as he left with so much more information than he could process weighing him down. 

~

Fitz tried to not say anything, but curiosity was driving him mad within a day. So when he and Mack took a break from working on running diagnostics on the quinjet, Fitz took the bottle of water Mack handed him and then sat in the co-pilot seat after Mack settled into the pilot seat. “Mack. Just tell me to shut up if I’m prying, but… who is Tim?” he asked nervously.

Mack stilled for a moment before slowly screwing the cap back on his bottle of water. “Where’d you hear about him?” he asked, looking up and straight ahead, jaw clenched.

Fitz cringed. “Bobbi might have- have found out. About us sleeping together. And she said some stuff about how she was glad I was your friend because you were happy when she came back from being undercover and she mentioned ‘after Tim’ you were all sad and stuff. I didn’t even notice you being sad when we first met,” he admitted. “I wasn’t in the best place, though, I guess.”

Mack settled down in the seat some, turning to look at Fitz with a sad smile. “Do you know where I worked for SHIELD? What I was before this?” he asked and Fitz shook his head. “I was the head engineer on the Iliad.”

Fitz’s eyes widened. “You were head engineer on an aircraft carrier and you came here to work as a _mechanic_?” he asked in surprise. 

Mack nodded. “Gonzales’s idea. Put me in with Coulson’s base as something unobtrusive. Coulson knew my history but when he hired me, I told him I wanted to just work on cars and try to forget about HYDRA. It wasn’t a lie,” he said pointedly. “I really was ready to leave SHIELD forever, but I didn’t want to leave Bobbi hanging and I didn’t want HYDRA to win.”

Fitz grimaced. “I heard the Iliad was barely saved. Heard it was just like it was for us at the Hub.”

“Tim was my boyfriend,” Mack said and Fitz waited, watching as Mack looked down at his hands. “We worked together. There weren’t the same frat regs working in the control room like we did, so it wasn’t a big deal. When HYDRA took over, he got shot in the arm and I thought he was gonna bleed out while they held us. And when the bastard with the gun asked who was the head engineer, he tried to tell them it was him to protect me, but I stopped him.” He winced. “That just made them kill him for trying to lie to them. Shot him twice in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. Right there beside me.”

“Fuck,” Fitz blurted out, horrified at the thought. Mack nodded, leaning his head back against the seat. “Shit, no wonder you were sad! Jesus, and Bobbi just mentioned it casually-“

“Well, she probably figured if we were sleeping together you knew,” Mack pointed out. He shrugged. “I should talk to her. Explain the situation.”

Fitz wanted to ask him about Bobbi’s claims Mack ‘didn’t do casual’ when that’s what Mack had offered him in the first place, but after unknowingly reminding Mack that the last man he dated had been _murdered in front of him_ , he didn’t want to pester him any longer. “I’m sorry about your boyfriend. HYDRA really sucks,” he said, unsure of what else he could say.

Mack just chuckled hollowly, nodding. “Yeah, HYDRA definitely sucks, Turbo.” He looked over at him and smiled. “Don’t worry about it, though. I don’t mind telling you. It just isn’t something I try to think about that much so it’s never come up.”

Fitz shrugged. “Everybody is entitled to keep their secrets, Mack. Even between friends.” He stood up and put his hand on Mack’s shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. “Thanks for talking to me about it now, though.” He knew it was the wrong moment, but he couldn’t fight the part of him that wanted to comfort Mack, so he leaned down and pressed his lips to Mack’s temple, holding there for a moment. “I’ll be outside whenever you’re ready to start on the engines. No rush.”

Mack nodded with a smile, squeezing his hand. “Thanks, Baby,” he said and Fitz fought the butterflies that decided to show up at the _worst moment ever_ at Mack calling him that somewhere besides in bed.

~

Fitz’s skin had cleared up and the bruise on his collar bone and the bruises on his hips from Mack’s hands were covered so he didn’t have to look at them often, so he didn’t think much about the reminders of his and Mack’s sex-incurred ‘injuries’ until he and Mack were standing side by side washing and drying the dishes, since it was their turn, and Simmons stopped mid-conversation with Skye behind them. “Ouch, Mack. Did you let somebody look at those scratches?”

Fitz fumbled with the plate he was drying and blushed when he clattered to the counter. He looked up at Mack, who had a panicked look on his face, and he elbowed him, making him fix a smile and turned around. “What?” he asked, and Simmons touched her own arm. 

“There’s scratches sticking out from under your sleeve. You had to feel that!” she said. “You must’ve caught your arm on some of the mechanics under the hood of one of the cars. That could get infected, you know,” she said, sliding off her chair. “Here, let me-“

“No, hey,” Mack said, pulling his sleeve down. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch-“

“Nonsense,” Simmons pushed, walking up to tug at his sleeve. “Stop it, Mack,” she warned, glaring at him teasingly. “Coulson would have my head if I let you end up in the hospital because you got infected _scratches_.” She frowned. “That’s odd, what part of a car makes marks…”

Mack tried to pull away without actually swatting her away. “No, trust me, Simmons, I’m fine. I washed it with soap and water, it’s not from metal on a car, I’m-“

“Hang on, this looks like _fingerna_ -“ Simmons stopped and Fitz could feel how red his face was growing as she let out a quick, “OH!” Simmons let go of Mack’s sleeve and pulled back, blushing. “That’s- erm- it wasn’t metal from a car,” she agreed.

Skye frowned from the counter. “Hey Fitz, you okay? You’re kinda bright red,” she said, and Simmons turned to him so fast her hair flew, eyes wide.

“ _Fitz_?!” she asked, and he looked away quickly. She looked between the two of them, opening and closing her mouth. “Are- have- did you two- oh my goodness,” she said, putting a hand to her forehead. “How long has that been a thing, then?” she asked Fitz. “You could’ve told me!”

Skye made a face. “What the hell is going on? I’m missing something. Remember,” she said, raising a finger. “Not a genius.”

Mack sighed, giving Fitz an apologetic look before looking up at Skye with a bashful look. “The scratches on my arms are nail marks. You can put two and two together and figure out why somebody might have clawed my arms up.”

Skye looked at him without any expression for a moment before she looked at Fitz’s bright red face and then instantly burst out laughing. “Holy shit! You two fucked?! HA!” She nearly fell out of her seat. “Oh God! That’s what ‘I like brown eyes’ and ‘I prefer blonds’ was about!” she said, gesturing between them. “Oh man, who else knows you guys got it on?” she asked.

Mack sighed. “Bobbi knows because she came to my door … during. And didn’t bother knocking because of what she heart.”

Skye mimed gagging. “Ew, I don’t wanna think about what sounds _Fitz_ makes during sex. Why would you say that?” she asked, and Fitz ducked his eyes. She giggled. “Oh man. This is hilarious-“

“You cannot go around telling people,” Mack said sternly. “SHIELD gossip is bad enough without you throwing Fitz’s name into the mix.”

Skye made a face. “Fine, fine. No telling anybody you and Fitz are secret lovers.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s no fun. Besides, you two don’t even flirt! Well, I mean no more than you always have,” she said. “Mack following you around all those months was kinda flirty, but I figured he just thought you were awesome cause you are,” she said and Fitz gave her a bashful smile.

“Thanks, Skye,” he said reluctantly.

Simmons crossed her arms at him. “What’s it? No ‘oh, sorry Jemma, I didn’t get a chance to tell you, I’m a tit’?” she asked in a horrible mockery of his voice.

Fitz shrugged awkwardly. “Well… it would’ve been a bit strange, right? Considering… you know. Our recent past.”

Simmons just made a frustrated sound and turned on her heel. “Whatever, Fitz,” she said, and he watched her storm out. He glanced at Mack, who shrugged apologetically.

“You can go after her if you need to. She always goes to the same place,” Mack pointed out and Fitz shook his head.

“Just- just let her get it out of her system.”

~

Simmons avoided him for two days before he finally cornered her in the lab when the others had all gone. “Look,” he started. “It’s not like I just didn’t tell you, neither of us wanted anybody to know. There’s nothing _to_ know,” he added.

Simmons put down her safety goggles and looked at him. “Fitz, how can you say that? You have a _boyfriend_ I didn’t know about! You’ve never been in a relationship in your life and you kept it secret from me-”

“No,” he said quickly. “I don’t.” He sighed, tugging at his curls. “Jemma… it’s not that. It’s just-“ He shrugged. “It’s just sex. I mean it. Everything is the same as before, we just have sex sometimes. It’s- it’s been going on a while now,” he confessed and she glared.

“You mean this all isn’t the first-“

“God no,” Fitz dismissed. “We’ve been sleeping together for well over six weeks now. It’s just- just the same thing as always, me and Mack, only sometimes we have sex after hanging out. Or have sex then hang out. Or have sex before work-“

Simmons held up a hand, grimacing. “Yeah, I get it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You honestly are just having sex with your friend? Really? I thought that was something you’d put a lid on after the Academy.”

Fitz gave her a confused look. “What? I never had sex before Mack-“ He stopped, paling when he realized what he’d confessed, but the damage was done when Simmons looked at him in shock.

“You _what_?!” 

Fitz shrugged. “Honestly I thought you knew. I mean, you know I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. That was the plan with Mack. I trust him, he’s my friend, I wanted to try sex and I trusted him so we were going to have sex, and we just sort of… kept at it.” 

She sighed. “Alright, so… that’s actually very mature of you both. I’m shocked. I always pictured you as a romantic. Him too.”

“Yeah,” Fitz muttered, looking down at the table. “I- I think maybe he likes me.” She gave him a look and he shook his head. “No I’m serious. I think he may have feelings for me. Bobbi said something about how- how Mack doesn’t do casual and if he’s having sex with me he must have- have feelings.” He cringed. “If he cares for me, that means he probably said yes to having sex with me just because he wanted me to be happy.” He looked at her. “That… that makes me feel a bit skeevy.”

She tutted. “Nonsense. You’re adults. If you both agreed to have sex, and clearly enjoyed it if you keep going at it,” she said, blushing. “It’s not your problem if he developed feelings for you.”

He sighed, rubbing at his forehead. “I might have feelings for him, though,” he confessed. “And I don’t know what to do,” he whispered. “Like this- like this if we stopped having sex, that’s fine. We’d still be friends the same. But I can’t risk losing him by telling him I want more. Hell, we’re not _allowed_ technically,” he added. “We work together. You’re not supposed to date co-workers in your department.” He looked at her. “Also, he’s older than my _dad_ ,” he said and she gaped.

“What?! But he looks so young!” she cried, and Fitz nodded. “Damn.” She shrugged. “Whatever you decide, it’s up to you, Fitz. If you want to go for it, go for it.”

He made a face. “You’re no use,” he said, making her smile.

“Yeah, well, I’m doing my best,” she teased.

~

Bobbi snickered when Mack groaned pitifully from the floor. “C’mon, Mack. You’re nearly twice my bodyweight. I shouldn’t be able to toss you around like this,” she said, standing over him.

Mack sat up with a hiss. “I’m not a fighter,” he argued and she rolled her eyes.

“No, but you could fool me with those scrapes and bruises,” she said, nodding at the state of his upper arms. “Damn, I thought Fitz had weak hands,” she teased, winking.

Mack gave her a stern look. “Hey, just because you found out doesn’t mean you can make jokes. It’s bad enough Skye and Simmons figured it out, too.”

Bobbi looked at him, giving him a hand to pull him up to his feet. “What’s going on there, Mack?” she asked in a more serious tone. “I know you. You don’t do casual. What the hell possessed you to fuck your friend?”

He groaned into his hands. “It wasn’t just the once, Bobbi,” he admitted, going to lean against the beam nearest him. She raised an eyebrow and he looked at her, head tipped back against the beam. “I won’t tell the whole story because it’s not just about me, but we’ve been sleeping together a while now. It’s- it is what it is,” he said simply. “He trusts me like he doesn’t anybody else and I knew at the start it was dumb as fuck to say yes, but I did it anyways because I’d do pretty much anything for that man, sex being the least of it.” He winced. “Well that boy anyways. Jesus Christ, I’m older than his dad, Bobbi,” he confessed and she snorted.

“Cradle robber,” she teased. She looked at him. “You need to talk to him, Mack. You’re going to get hurt.”

Mack shrugged, smiling sadly. “It’s worth it to keep him in my life. If I go for it and it turns out I’m wrong, it could make him distance himself from me. If he changes his mind about the sex, it’s just back to usual. But if he changes his mind about me I could lose him.”

“Aw, man, you’re in _deep_ ,” Bobbi said, shaking her head. 

He nodded. “Yeah.” He smiled tightly. “Yeah, I know.”

~

It was more than a little odd knowing that Skye, Jemma, and Bobbi all knew he and Mack were having sex, but other than that knowledge, they didn’t act any different, even during downtime, when it would be so easy to use it as a teasing point.

“It’s just not fair,” Skye argued. “Mack’s bigger than everybody else! His arms are longer!”

Fitz frowned as he looked up from his tablet. “What?” he asked, and Skye and Simmons both gestured to where Mack had unthinkingly set the TV remote on top of a shelf when he’d put away the game he and Fitz had been playing earlier that morning. He grinned, shaking his head. “Oh, Mack,” he sighed. He walked over and reached, but as he’d predicted, he couldn’t reach either. Skye gave him a pout and he raised an eyebrow. “What? I’m barely taller than you. And that’s only because you’re both really small.”

“Hey, what’re you guys doing?” Mack asked from the doorway as he came in with a bowl of popcorn. “What’s so interesting about the bookcase?”

Fitz gestured. “Your tall arse put a thing where they can’t reach. Come get it for us.”

Mack put down the popcorn and, instead of getting the remote himself, he picked Fitz up without warning, grinning when Fitz flailed but did as he said and grabbed the remote. “There you go, do stuff for yourself occasionally,” he joked as he set Fitz back on his feet.

Fitz rolled his eyes. “You’re hilarious. Really,” he said as he swatted at Mack’s middle on his way past. He settled onto the couch, tucking his knees under him so that when Mack fell into his spot, Fitz could lean against his side comfortably.

By the time Bobbi and Hunter joined them, Fitz and Mack had eaten half the popcorn already. “Oi, share, you piggies,” Hunter chastised, sitting on the empty end of the couch beside Fitz. “Alright, so, what’re we watching?”

“Skyfall,” Fitz said, and Hunter gave him a flat look.

“We’re literally spies and we’re going to watch James Bond? Really?” he asked and Skye scoffed.

“Clearly you haven’t realized spies love spy movies,” she said. “Mercenaries may not dig it, but Coulson has _gadgets_ he collects. I’m pretty sure he keeps requesting Simmons and Fitz build him a shoe phone.”

“He does,” Simmons confirmed.

Mack chuckled. “Besides, have you _seen_ Daniel Craig?” he asked and Fitz nodded seriously.

“Damn straight,” Bobbi said, winking at Fitz. “Bring on the sexy super spy,” she said with a grin.

Simmons nodded. “Ignoring that James Bond is a misogynistic pig whose ‘girls’ are simply there for him to have sex with and them die because of it, nothing beats a Bond movie.”

Fitz made a face. “Well, Harry Potter would,” he said she made an incredulous face.

“Well _obviously_ , but that’s a whole different category of entertainment, that’s like a different conversation altogether-“

Hunter shushed her. “Well conversations here need to cease if we’re going to watch a movie,” he said and Fitz gave him a glare but mimed zipping his lips all the same before leaning back into Mack’s side.

Movie night was always fun, some downtime to relax, but since he and Mack had started getting closer and more comfortable with each other physically, Fitz always ended up half in Mack’s lap, head tucked under his chin, nearly asleep from how warm Mack was. It was pretty nice, if he was honest.

The comfort was interrupted this time by Hunter smacking his foot repeatedly. “Holy shit, Fitz, the Q guy on this film is _you_ ,” he said, laughing.

Fitz frowned, sitting up a little bit. “What?” He looked at the curly-haired guy wearing a sweater and a tie and looked down at himself. “Huh. Yeah, I’ve never noticed that watching this movie before,” he said.

“Whoa, that is weird,” Bobbi said with a chuckle. “Maybe they stalked us before making this movie,” she teased. “Also, on the subject, what’s with the ties? You never wore ties until this week. Where are you getting them?” she asked.

Simmons scoffed. “Oh no, he used to wear a tie _always_ ,” she stressed. “He’s like Coulson, he never doesn’t have a tie. So he’s got dozens of them. He just hasn’t worn them as much lately.”

Fitz raised his left hand and wiggled his fingers. “I couldn’t tie them. I’m alright now, though. My hands are mostly fine.” He rubbed his cheek. “Not sure if I wanna go back to shaving every day though, I look more like an adult the way I am now. You didn’t ever know me before, but clean shaven and with longer hair, I looked about fifteen.”

Skye grinned. “You were such a cutie though! I really did think you were about eighteen, not twenty something.”

Mack looked at him curiously. “I cannot imagine you looking any younger than you are,” he said and Fitz grinned.

“Hope you like the lazy-scruff then,” he said and Mack nodded with a wink.

“You know I do, Baby,” he murmured where only Fitz could hear him, making Fitz blush slightly. Louder, so the rest could hear, he looked back at the screen. “Besides, you’re way cooler than Q. You’re a badass,” he said and Hunter grinned. 

“Hell yeah he is. I’ve personally had to hold him back from beating the ever-loving shit out of somebody, I doubt anybody ever had to stop Q from punching someone’s lights out!” he said, slapping Fitz on the back.

Fitz rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m five and a half feet of fury, I am,” he droned.

“Hey, if you weren’t little, I couldn’t have picked you up to get the remote,” Mack pointed out, making Fitz snort. “Plus sides to everything.”

“Yeah, also that’s a lie,” Fitz said, giving him a teasing look. “I’m pretty sure you could lift a small plane as far as you did me to get the remote. Or, you know, you could have just grabbed it yourself if you didn’t enjoy manhandling me all the time,” he said and Mack smirked. Fitz blushed and swatted at him. “Oi, mind out of the gutter!”

Hunter barked out a laugh. “Don’t be a pervert, Mack,” he said, and Mack just snickered, resting his chin against Fitz’s hair.

~

When Mack was sent out on another mission, because of _course_ he was, he came back and spent a whole day just curled up in Fitz’s arms. He and Bobbi and Hunter had chased a rogue former HYDRA agent with SHIELD tech and in the end, they couldn’t stop him setting off a device that turned a playground full of children into an imploded crater. 

Mack didn’t say anything, but Fitz had been helping run back-end in the control room when it came through the comms that three children, one parent, and the agent had all been killed.

Fitz didn’t try to offer platitudes or ‘it could have been worse’ comparisons to him, because Mack had just watched four innocent people be killed in front of him and Fitz respected him too much to try and do that to him. Instead, he shut and locked the doors to the lounge and put on a random film and settled on the couch with Mack curled up with his arms around Fitz’s body and his head tucked into his belly. Fitz just held him and stroked his back soothingly until he fell asleep, and then he held him while he napped, unwilling to leave him alone for anything.

Hunter and Bobbi had more experience with things going tits up and ending in tragedy, so they were mostly fine, but for the next two nights after they returned, Fitz stayed with Mack and woke up each one to see Mack sitting on the opposite side of the bed with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking as he silently cried. The first night, Fitz pretended to sleep so that Mack wouldn’t be embarrassed, but the second time, when it happened again, he couldn’t just leave him alone like that. 

Fitz crawled across the bed and stood on his knees, curling his arms around Mack’s shoulders. He laid his head against Mack’s cheek and Mack turned to lean his forehead against Fitz’s, hand coming up to curl around both of Fitz’s against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, but Fitz shook his head.

“Shush you. Don’t apologize.” He held Mack’s gaze, heart clenching at the reflection of tear tracks down his face. He reached up and wiped them away. “Our lives are full of some really horrible stuff, and we all have to live with that.” He shook his head minutely. “I’d rather you wake me up than try to sit here all by yourself.” He kissed his forehead. “So I’m going to sit here with you until you’re ready to try and sleep again.”

Mack sighed. “Sleep doesn’t come easy for me lately, Baby.”

“Then I’ll be sitting here a while I guess,” Fitz said stubbornly. Mack managed a small smile, nodding.

“You are definitely the most amazing person on this base,” Mack said, squeezing his hand. “Thank you, Turbo.”

Fitz smiled, hugging him closer. “Never need to thank me for wanting to take care of you, Mack.”

~

When Coulson’s next mission needed another tech person and he once again assigned Mack to go out with Hunter and Bobbi after a crazy man with a strange weapon, two nights before they were meant to go, Fitz sat with Mack while he tossed and turned all night. The morning after, Mack could barely eat anything.

After watching Mack staring into the distance most of the morning, looking vaguely ill at the prospect of what the following day could bring, Fitz went to find Coulson. When he found him in his office, he shut the door behind himself, making Coulson raise an eyebrow. “Well hello. Can I help you?” he asked.

“Sir-“ Fitz hesitated, running words through his head, making sure he had them all for this. “Sir, I’d like to volunteer to take Mack’s place on the mission tomorrow.”

Coulson frowned. “Why? Is he alright? Did something happen-“

“No, but he cannot go on that mission,” Fitz said. 

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Coulson said slowly and Fitz gave a growl of frustration.

“Mack is not a field agent!” he burst out. “You need more manpower, I know this, but you can’t keep sending him out every time you need someone with tech experience.”

Coulson shook his head. “Fitz, it’s not that I don’t think you’re capable. You know I have witnessed how capable you are. But you have so much to do here already that Mack can’t do. Also, he’s added muscle if things go bad. It’s nothing against you, but you’re not the most intimidating figure-“

“I’m not offended for me, I’m offended for him,” Fitz argued. “You think just because he’s big and strong that he’s a fighter. He hates violence! He hates going into situations with violence. Mack is not cut out for this. I’m a field agent, I volunteered for it, but Mack’s _not_.” He deflated some. “Look, after last time…” He shook his head. “Mack can’t handle it again. He’s a liability in the field more than an asset.”

Coulson raised an eyebrow. “Harsh coming from you. I thought you guys were friends. I never expected you would call anybody a liability, Fitz. You are all for giving people chances-“

“Yeah well, not when he woke me up crying every night for _days_ after the last time and he’s kept me up all night because he’s dreading tomorrow’s mission so much he can’t even eat!” Fitz snapped. 

Coulson’s other eyebrow followed the first and he looked at Fitz in surprise. “… Fitz. What does Mack’s inability to sleep have anything to do with yours when your rooms are on different halls?” he asked slowly.

Fitz flushed and he started fidgeting. “I- I- he just- I-“

“Fitz, you’re a terrible liar, think about that before you continue,” Coulson said, face growing sterner.

Fitz sighed, deflating. “Because I’ve been sleeping with him for a while now,” he admitted.

“Fitz!” Coulson cried, putting a hand over his face. “Come on, you know better than this! You know there are rules against assets fraternizing. Any relationship change is supposed to be reported and proper channels followed.” He gave him an incredulous look. “Also, what the hell? How did I miss this?”

“It’s not that big of a deal!” Fitz argued. “I mean it’s not something people know about! It was only supposed to be once, because I wanted to know what sex was like, it just happened to turn into repeatedly doing it and he’s my friend, so lately since the playground incident I’ve been staying because I worry about him! Nobody has ever done anything about the Hunter and Bobbi situation!” he added.

Coulson scoffed. “Yeah, and Hunter and Bobbi are in love with each other, they fight all the time, but even when they’re not together, I can trust them to work well together. I don’t have to worry about them ending in compromised agents.”

“Nothing is going to compromise me and Mack!” Fitz argued, cheeks flushed with anger at the implication. “Mack _betrayed us_ and I still forgave him, if he suddenly decided he doesn’t want to have sex with me anymore, that’s not going to end in us stopping being able to work together!” He stopped in front of the desk. “Look, the point is, Mack is not able to cope with this assignment. Let me go in his place. I’m just as useful in the field as he is, more so really.”

Coulson sat back in his seat, eying him curiously. “Why do I have a feeling you haven’t asked him about all this before coming to me?”

Fitz bit his lip. “If I mentioned to him he’d say asking you to stop assigning him to dangerous missions like this will make him look bad. He’s doing all you ask him to to make up for his betrayal. He’s trying to fix the broken trust.” He gave him a meaningful look. “But it’s killing him. He can’t handle the horrible things we’re used to facing. Mack is strong physically, and he’s a very strong person otherwise, but he isn’t hardened by it like we are. Like we have to be. It’s too soon and you have to know that, Sir.”

“Okay, maybe it is too soon,” Coulson allowed. “But what would he say about you going behind his back to get him taken off a mission?”

“Well, in this case he’d probably thank me,” Fitz said bluntly. “But it doesn’t matter! I don’t give a hell what he thinks, he can be angry all he wants, but I know what’s best for him because I love him and he’ll get over anger, he can’t get over freezing in the field and getting killed! He can be as angry as he wants to be if it means he’s okay!”

Coulson looked at him in surprise. “I’m not sure where to start. You shouting about something or the fact you legitimately lied to me about it not being that big of a deal and then straight up telling me it’s love, not just sex,” he said evenly.

Fitz paled. “What? I-“ He froze when he realized what he’d just said. “Oh _shit_.”

Coulson bit his lip, fighting a smile. “I take it you weren’t lying, you just worked some stuff out, huh?” He sighed, shaking his head in amusement. “Look, Fitz. You and Mack work this all out and then let him come tell me if he wants off the mission. If he can’t do it, he shouldn’t. He’s a liability if he could potentially freeze like you suggest. Especially on a mission with his best friend. She’s likely to blow the mission to save him if it comes down to it and I don’t want that to be a possibility.” He leaned back in his seat. “Also, figure out which forms you two need to fill out so I can have May get them ready,” he said and Fitz grimaced, smiling awkwardly.

“Erm, right. Yeah… Sure.” He turned to leave, and stopped at the door, smacking his head against it once. “Sorry for, you know, yelling and all. It’s just- well-“

Coulson held up a hand. “Oh trust me, I get it. Sort of.” He hesitated, making a face. “Well no, maybe not. Anyways, it’s fine. Well for me anyways, you probably should talk about some things with someone,” he suggested and Fitz glared at him.

“Goodbye, Sir,” he said, snapping the door shut behind him after he left.

~

Fitz waited until Mack took a break and approached him in the garage. “Mack?” he said nervously and Mack turned to him, smiling when he saw him.

“Hey, Turbo,” he said as he tugged his shirt on. “You need something?” he asked, looking at his expression. “Are you okay, Baby?” he asked in a softer tone.

Fitz couldn’t help the way the pet name made him smile. “Erm, can we talk? In private?” he asked, and Mack nodded. 

“Yeah, is something wrong?” he asked, and Fitz smiled tightly.

“Let’s just- let’s just talk,” he said as he turned and led the way to his room, since it was closest, and prayed to any god that might be listening that Mack didn’t hate him when this conversation was over.

~

Mack had a bad feeling about whatever had Fitz so nervous. He looked positively sick with worry, and all Mack could think of was that something was wrong with him. Either he’d gotten into some trouble or he was about to and wanted to warn Mack ahead of time. When they got to Fitz’s room, which surprised Mack, since they rarely were there together, he walked over and sat on the edge of Fitz’s bed, watching as he paced. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out to catch his hip on the way past, pulling Fitz around to stand in front of him. 

Fitz looked down at him, worrying his bottom lip and fidgeting his fingers. “Mack… I want to start this by telling you that I _promise_ it’s got nothing to do with thinking you’re not good enough.”

Mack’s heart sank when he finally realized where this was going. After a few months of sleeping together, clearly Fitz was ready to stop. Mack had known it was going to happen eventually, but he’d gotten so used to being able to pretend Fitz was his. “Oh. I see,” Mack said, and Fitz shook his head.

“No, don’t do that, don’t pull that face,” Fitz urged. “Look, I- I know how badly scarred you are from the last time, and I wanted to- to spare you from forcing yourself to deal with it again.” Mack frowned, trying to figure out how the hell his former boyfriend being murdered had anything to do with him and Fitz, since Fitz clearly wasn’t in danger of being murdered by HYDRA. “So, I took it to Coulson,” he went on. “I told him he should take you off tomorrow’s mission and send me instead because you cannot handle another mission so soon after the last that messed you up so bad.”

“Uh, what?” Mack made a face. “You… tried to get Coulson to take me off the mission? That’s what this is about?”

Fitz frowned. “What? Yeah?” He narrowed his eyes. “What’d you think it was gonna be about?” he asked suspiciously.

Mack gave him a funny look. “You seemed so serious and I thought it was gonna be something really big. You trying to help me out and get me off the mission is no big deal. I figured this was the ‘it’s been fun, but we shouldn’t do this anymore’ talk.”

Fitz spluttered. “What?! No! I mean, it does get more serious than just that, but I mean that I let it slip to Coulson we were sleeping together when I told him you couldn’t sleep you’re so damn worried about the mission and you need to be pulled, but I meant for this to be the _opposite_ of breaking it off, I was gonna finish it all out by telling you I realized just earlier that I’m sort of in love with you, which is why I’m so worried about you in the field, I couldn’t bear it if you froze up and got yourself killed-“ Mack tuned out whatever else Fitz was going to say because all he could hear, apart from the ringing in his ears, was the echo of Fitz’s words over and over as his insides warmed and it felt like every breath made his chest expand further and further until he thought he was going to explode with it.

“You love me?” Mack interrupted, and Fitz stopped suddenly, eyes widening as he flushed.

“Oh shit. I said that already, didn’t I?” he asked, ducking his head. “Oh God, I didn’t even realize I just said that in all that other shite! Craaaap. I meant to break that more easily, sorry, I understand it’s not what we meant to happen-“ Mack laughed as he reached out and put a hand over Fitz’s mouth, shutting up his rambling. Fitz frowned and Mack pulled him closer until he was standing between Mack’s legs. 

“I love you, too, Turbo,” he said, pulling his hand away. Fitz seemed to have lost his ability to speak, though, because he just stared, opening and closing his mouth. “Uh? Baby? You okay?” Mack asked, using his hands on his hips to shake him a little.”

“You- You love me?” Fitz asked in the most confused tone ever, which broke Mack’s heart. Fitz looked at him like he couldn’t understand Mack feeling the same.

Mack nodded slowly. “Oh, Fitz.” He pulled him into a hug, laying his cheek against Fitz’s chest. “I’ve loved you from the start, Turbo. I knew you only saw me as a friend and even when you asked me to have sex with you, I knew it would only ever be sex, but I loved you long before we started sleeping together,” he said, holding him close. “I could’ve never imagined you’d love me.”

Fitz pushed at his head, making him sit back and look up at him. “Why not?” he asked with an annoyed frown. “Why didn’t you think-“

“C’mon, Turbo.” Mack rolled his eyes. “I’m a middle aged mechanic with nowhere to go from here. You’re twenty-five, you’re an actual genius, and you have your whole life ahead of you.”

Fitz spluttered. “Hey, you’re also kind, patient, clever, and damn sexy,” he argued. “Mack, honestly. You were always nice to me. Even when you had no reason to be. You weren’t using me when you could have. You were my friend for real, not just treating me like a target. Your job was to infiltrate us but you _liked_ me you didn’t just see me as an easy mark. People who weren’t doing all that rubbish still didn’t give me a minute of their time before I was ‘better’. You’ve been at my side so many times. You’re a wonderful man, Mack,” he said firmly. “I’d be perfectly happy just being your friend, but I fell in love with you somewhere in the past few months, and I apparently am incredibly defensive of the people I love,” he said, blushing. “Coulson knows we’re sleeping together and that I’m in love with you because I was yelling at him about how you can’t sleep and you can’t eat and how I don’t care if you’re mad at me for interfering as long as you stay alive,” he admitted in a rush.

Mack’s smile slowly widened and he laughed. “Dude, the way you ramble when you get going, I’m not surprised you told him all that.” He squeezed his hips, pulling him closer. “Thank you for standing up for me, Turbo,” he said and Fitz smiled sheepishly as he wrapped his arms around Mack’s neck. He nodded. “I am pretty scared of going on tomorrow’s mission. If he approves the swap, then okay.” He tilted his head. “I’ll go crazy hoping you’re okay if you’re gone on a mission, but this is SHIELD and you’re the tech genius of the organization. I’ll always have to live with you going on missions you could get hurt on. I’ve made my peace with that before.” He pressed a kiss to Fitz’s sternum. “I love you, though. And if you’re willing to give it a go, I’d really like to take you out on an actual date sometime. Try doing this right.”

When he looked up at Fitz, he was biting his bottom lip to fight a giant smile. “Yeah?” he asked, and Mack nodded. Fitz nodded, blushing some. “Yeah, alright. Dating. That can be a thing.” He stroked a hand over the back of Mack’s head. “As long as you’re alright with the term ‘boyfriend’ because even though you’re a bit older, ‘partner’ is a word for old people and agents who work together in my world,” he said very seriously, making Mack bark out a laugh.

“Sure, Fitz. You can call me your boyfriend all you want,” Mack said with a teasing grin. “As long as you don’t get mad if I start calling you ‘Baby’ in front of everybody else,” he bargained and Fitz blushed but nodded.

“I’m- I’m okay with that,” he said, leaning down to meet Mack’s lips. Mack exhaled through his nose as he pushed into the kiss. “Also, we have to fill out paperwork for Coulson,” Fitz said, slowly sliding into Mack’s lap, straddling him rather than standing between his knees. “He told me we had to work it out so I could ask for the right forms, relationship versus casual sex, apparently.”

Mack snorted. “The fact we have paperwork for casual sex is hilarious,” he said, meeting Fitz’s lips in a sweet, chaste little kiss. “I’d hate to see Bobbi and Hunter’s relationship file.”

Fitz laughed before kissing him once more. “Mmm, yep. They probably have a whole filing cabinet for their change of status forms,” he said, pressing his forehead against Mack’s. He looked into his big, warm, loving eyes and shook his head minutely. “How did I get this lucky? You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, you know?”

Mack held him close, brushing his lips along Fitz’s chin sweetly. “Don’t ask me, because I don’t know if I’ve ever met somebody more amazing than you. There was never a chance, in my eyes, of his happening, but here you are.”

Fitz grinned, nodding. “Yeah, here I am. And I’d like to see anybody try and make me go away,” he said, stroking a fingertip along Mack’s face. “I’m protective of the ones I love, Mack. I hope you’re ready to deal with that part of me.”

“Baby,” Mack said, grinning at him as he curled his arms around Fitz’s waist, holding him on his lap. “I love every bit of you just the way you are. I’ll deal with anything you throw out and I’ll do it gladly. As long as I get you, I don’t care what work that requires. You’re the best thing to happen to me. I’m not gonna be scared away that easily.”

Fitz grinned, leaning in to kiss him once more after muttering a soft, ‘Good’. When the kiss broke, Fitz snickered. “Now we get to go fill out forms that I’m pretty sure will make Coulson blush,” he said and Mack snorted but nodded, releasing Fitz to stand up. He followed him out of the room.

“Alright, let’s go traumatize the boss,” he said, and Fitz positively glowed when he slid his hand into Fitz’s without preamble. They walked the whole way to Coulson’s office hand in hand, the way they both wanted it to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what do you think? 
> 
> It's probably not my BEST FitzMack but it had to be finished and posted. Thanks!


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